Pearlescent
by TheGrandJester
Summary: Matthew is a shy merman playing with his brother, Alfred, when he is captured by pirates. Will he ever be able to return home to the ocean, or will he be kept prisoner forever? PruCan with mentioned UsUk
1. Chapter 1

"Come on Mattie! Live a little!" Alfred shouted to his twin brother as he sped past him, twisting through the ocean like a water dragon.

"I don't know Al, it's really not safe to go near the surface," his younger brother replied softly, but still followed closely. At first glance, the twins seemed perfectly identical, but upon closer inspection, they had very distinguishable features.

Matthew's hair was lighter and longer than Al's shining blond, and it swayed gracefully around his face as the ocean gently played with it, while Alfred's stubbornly defied the currents. In fact, Alfred just seemed more vibrant than Matthew in almost every aspect; his loud personality and voice often overshadowed his brother's when meeting other mermen. His skin was a golden tan from venturing to the surface constantly, whereas Matthew's was paler, softer, and more delicate from the dimmer depths. However, they were equal in the appearance of their tails; Alfred's tail was tinted sapphire, as opposed to Matthew's emerald, and the light glinted off of both their tails as they neared the surface, sending sparks of light through the water around them.

"Al, why are we even here?" Asked Matthew

Alfred looked at him like he grew octopus tentacles, "To play with the fish and dolphins of course! It's migrating season."

His point was emphasized as they broke the surface and a bottle-nose dolphin almost collided with Matthew.

"Gah!" Matthew screamed as he dove back under.

The pod of dolphins swam around him as their leader clicked its apologies. Matthew giggled softly and reached out to stroke the dolphin's rubbery skin, which whipped the dolphins into a playful frenzy. Whipping his head around at Alfred's delighted cry, Matthew watched as he gripped onto a dolphin's dorsal fin as they chased after a school of fish. After being nudged by the apologetic dolphin, Matthew grasped its fin and took off after Alfred as they twisted, laughed, and raced through the water after the red-and-orange fish.

They lost track of time as the ocean became a blur of vibrant blues, reds, greens, oranges, and gold, until suddenly the dolphins squeaked in alarm and the fish scattered. Matthew lost his grip and his dolphin sped off as he searched the water frantically with his eyes to see what had frightened the creatures off.

"Dive Mattie! Now!" he heard Alfred scream and he obeyed without question, but it was too late. The net wrapped around him and a few dozen unlucky fish and began to drag him toward the surface.

"Alfred!" Matthew cried as he began his slow ascent. Alfred desperately tried to tear the net, but he could see that the rope was too thick and the net moving too fast to be able to save Matthew. So he switched to trying to calm Matthew down so he wouldn't hurt himself.

"Shhh! Mattie, it's going to be okay," he said as he grasped Matthew's hand through the net, which was already breaking through the surface, "Try to get overboard once you're on the ship! The humans will be too surprised to stop you!"

But Matthew was panicking and to terrified to heed his brother's words. Al let go of his hand as he was hoisted into the air. Without Alfred's hand to anchor him, Matthew began to twist and writhe frantically, as he heard the gasps of the crew on deck.

"Someone go get the captain!"

"My god, it's real."

"It looks terrified."

The net crashed onto the deck, but Matthew was too tangled up in the rope to escape. He could only struggle helplessly as they converged around him, cutting off any means of escape.

"Stop." Said an authoritative and baritone voice.

Matthew shivered and nearly shrieked when his amethyst eyes looked up to meet blood red.

The captain smirked as he looked down at his newest addition to his crew. He knelt down, never breaking eye contact, "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Albino hands grabbed Matthew and untangled him from the fishing net, lifting him into the air bridal-style.

Matthew didn't dare to continue struggling now that he was in the arms of a human, and too far from the side of the ship to jump. He looked around frantically and quickly took note of his surroundings.

It was a large ship, nearly 160 feet long, ornate and made of dark, smooth wood. They were surrounded by dozens of crew members, each one carrying a dagger or sword of some sort sheathed around their waists; but, none were wearing uniforms. With a sinking feeling, Matthew looked up the ship's mast to see a black flag with skull and crossbones.

His eyes widened.

"_Pirates_" he whispered, trembling, and his captor seemed to hear him, pleased that the merman was not struggling.

Overwhelmed and scared beyond reason, the faces around him became blurry as he started to hyperventilate. The noise of the ocean calling out to him, the excited chatter of the pirate crew, and the creak of the ship combined and crashed down on him, suffocating him further. As he was losing consciousness, Matthew felt something painful clasp around the tip of his tail, and then he knew no more.

**This is my first Fanfic, so be gentle in your reviews! Don't be afraid to give me criticism, or suggestions on what you want in upcoming chapters. Let me know if I should continue with the story, or just give up now. Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Matthew noticed when he woke up was that he was in a bed. Not a bed of kelp, like he normally slept in with Alfred, but an actual feather mattress, which confused him greatly. Then, all the memories of the previous day came flooding back to him all at once and he sat up with a start, eyes wide.

The second thing he noticed was that it was very late at night, even though he had been captured in the afternoon. The luxurious cabin he was in was illuminated by lamplight, and the crescent moon was shining outside the window, mocking him with its smile.

The third thing he noticed was that he had legs.

"_Oh my god_! _How!?_" he thought frantically. Matthew covered his mouth with his hands to keep from screaming. He was currently alone in the cabin, and did not want to yell out loud for fear of alerting the humans that he was awake.

Contrary to popular belief, merfolk did not grow legs when they dried off on land. They dehydrated and died slowly. The ocean was a part of them, the source of their life-force. So, why did Matthew have legs? And who put clothes on him?

Matthew looked down at the coarse cloth now covering his body. After living in the ocean his entire life, it felt strange to have these garments pressing and rubbing against him every time he moved. He didn't like it.

Rolling up the pant legs to get a better look at his legs, he noticed that the webbing between his fingers had disappeared. But, before he could focus on that new discovery, he felt something heavy around his ankle. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a very heavy gold bracelet. It was unlike anything Matthew had ever seen; the gold band was completely smooth with no hinges, and no way to take it off.

_"It must have been sealed by magic, and it explains why I have legs"_ he realized. The fact that the pirates had someone on board that could perform magic this powerful frightened him immensely.

While inspecting his new legs, Matthew didn't notice the cabin door open, and someone enter, gazing at Matthew with the same intensity he was giving his legs. After becoming tired of beig unnoticed, the man decided to make his presence known.

"I think your legs are pretty awesome too."

Matthew nearly screamed. Instead, he whipped around, promptly lost his balance, and fell face-first onto the bed.

_"I know that voice,"_ thought Matthew, _"he's the one who picked me up before I fainted yesterday; he's the captain!"_

Matthew titled his head timidly so that his eyes were no longer pressed against the bed, and dared a peek at his captor.

He was shockingly pale, almost the same shade as Matthew despite long days on the open seas. His white hair fell jaggedly around his face, framing is high cheekbones and wicked grin. His black hat with a white feather obviously marked him as captain, but the deadly aura around him was more than enough to keep most people in check. However, the most startling thing about him by far were his eyes. Blood red and full of danger, Matthew recalled how they had pinned him to the deck yesterday and rendered him unable to move.

_"I'm going to die,"_ thought Matthew faintly. Growing up, Alfred used to love scaring Matthew with horror stories of how humans would capture merfolk and chop off their tails for food. They had somehow gotten it into their heads that eating merfolk flesh could grant immortality, or that their tears had healing properties. Matthew could only hope that he wouldn't die because of these false rumors.

Then Matthew's mind slammed on the breaks.

_Alfred_

_"How long have I been asleep? Is he alright? He must be so worried!"_ A million thoughts of his older brother flooded his mind. With growing panic, Matthew worked up the courage to bring the rest of his face off the mattress and addressed his captor.

"W-why am I h-here?" He stuttered, almost inaudibly, but the human heard him nonetheless.

The captain's smirk widened, "You're going to be a part of my crew from now on."

Matthew's eyes widened in dismay, "W-what? W-why?"

The smile turned predatory, "Because, all my life I've been told the legends of the merfolk's beauty, and now that I've finally found out that it's true, I'm not about to let him go."

Matthew didn't know whether to feel sick or relieved. It didn't sound like the human wanted to torture him if he wanted a new crew member, but at the same time, Matthew knew that he would not be able to return to Alfred.

Then realization dawned on him.

Matthew didn't know much about human intimacy, but if the way the captain was stalking toward him was any indication, he wanted much more than a new crew member.

As the human reached out to touch his face, Matthew squeaked and flinched backward, eyes wide and hair flying in disarray.

Pausing, the human chuckled at the former merman who was curling onto his side on the bed.

"You look like a frightened baby bird! But don't worry, Birdie, I won't do anything tonight. You must be exhausted after Arthur put that enchanted bracelet on you."

As soon as he mentioned it, the fear-fueled adrenaline wave that Matthew was riding crashed, and his eyes became heavy and started drooping. Emotional strain and physical exhaustion slammed into him with the force of a killer whale, and he dropped onto the mattress bonelessly. Right now, if the captain stood aside and offered Matthew a chance to jump back into the ocean, he wasn't sure if he could even make it out the door.

The captain chuckled again and started removing his outer clothing, beginning with his black hat and coat, followed by his leather boots until he was only clad in trousers. Matthew eyed him warily, wondering if the captain had changed his mind and would go against his earlier words. But the captain only flopped down onto the mattress next to Matthew, covering them both with a light blanket.

"W-what are you doing?" Matthew yelped, as the human draped an arm over his shoulders and pulled him until his back was pressed up against the human's front.

"Well, Birdie, you are in _my_ room, and unfortunately, there is only _one_ bed." However, the look on his face suggested anything but disappointment. Running his hands over Matthew's chest and arms, he commented huskily, "Your skin is so soft, it's almost like a woman's," as he buried his face into Matthew's light hair.

Terrified beyond belief, salty tears silently began pouring down Matthew's face. Though he knew it wouldn't work, Matthew decided to at least try to appeal to the pirate captain's conscience.

"Please, p-please let me go," he cried, "I have people waiting for me at home. They must be so worried."

"I already told you Birdie, you're now a part of my crew; and, there's no way I'm ever letting you go. For years now I've searched the oceans, fearing that the legends may not be true, but now I have my very own merman," then his eyes darkened, "those _fools_ were all wrong."

The abrupt change in tone to something much more sinister only caused Matthew to cry harder.

"Good night, Birdie." He whispered into Matthew's ear, delighting in the frightened shiver he received in response, "don't worry, you'll come to _love_ it here," and blew out the lamp.

The human dropped off almost immediately, but it was a long time later that exhaustion, and the familiar scent of the ocean caused by his tears, were finally able to lure Matthew into sleep's murky depths.

_********** Line Break **********_

Thank God, or whoever was out there, that the pirate ship had finally decided to anchor for the night. The pitch-black water made it impossible to follow, and Alfred didn't think he could swim much longer, seeing as he had been chasing after the boat non-stop since they hauled Matthew over the side.

Since losing their parents when they were younger, the brothers had never been separated. It was to the point where Alfred could no longer remember his father's face, because every time he tried, he could only picture Matthew's. Even though he was younger, the merman's quiet and kind words had always been there to comfort and support Alfred even through the worst of times.

And now, it was his fault that Matthew had been kidnapped, just because he wanted to fool around near the surface. Why didn't he listen to Matthew's words of caution? But now wasn't the time for regrets; right now, his younger brother needed a hero, and Alfred would do everything in his power to play the part. The pirates didn't just kidnap his brother, they stole his world; and no matter what, Alfred was going to get him back.

_"Hang on Mattie,"_ thought Alfred, _"I'm coming for you."_

**So that's the second chapter. Woohoo! Serious Alfred! Comment, review, or say hi, just give me something to let me know I shouldn't abandon this! Also, many thanks to my first readers, you guys rock!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, the school week has started so it's going to be a little more difficult for me to update, but I'll try to post new chapters as often as possible. And here's chapter 3!**

* * *

Faint sunbeams coming through the singular window played over Matthew's closed eyelids, gently calling him into consciousness. Opening his eyelids slowly to reveal amethyst orbs, Matthew looked around the cabin only to find that he was alone. Relieved, he was now able to look around the room in the morning glow, unlike yesterday when it was only dimly lit by the lamp, and shadows played on the walls, making the situation much more terrifying than it already was.

Looking around from his position on the bed, Matthew could see that the room was rather spacious, as expected of a captain's quarters. The blanket that they slept over was a deep red and appeared expensive, covering a large feather mattress. The bed frame was dark mahogany that matched the wood flooring, and the lush carpets on the floor were the same color as the blanket on the bed. The bed was backed into the far corner of the room, and on the opposite side, closer to the door, was a writing desk with papers, jewels, and weapons strewn about. The room was extravagant, and seemed to match the captain's personality.

_"Strange,"_ thought Matthew, _"he left weapons on the desk where I can grab them. Either he forgot about them, or he's confident in his and his crew's ability to defend themselves."_

Matthew decided on the latter. Not that he would ever try to use one of the weapons against someone, even if they had kidnapped him. Matthew was too gentle to try and harm another person.

After several long minutes, Matthew decided to get out of bed and find the main deck.

_"If he left weapons within my reach and the door unlocked, surely it's alright to go outside..." _

Also, he really did not want to be waiting in bed when the ship's captain came back. Swinging his newly acquired legs over the side of the mattress, Matthew tried to stand up, and immediately collapsed into a heap on the floor.

"Oof!"

Blowing his hair out of his eyes, he grabbed onto the side of the bed frame and attempted to stand again.

_"This is going to be harder than I thought."_

Slowly, after several tries, Matthew was able to balance shakily on his new limbs and take a few steps while holding onto the wall for support. Taking a deep breath, he managed to make it few steps to the door on his own, and gave a grim smile of victory.

He opened the door and peeked into the corridor.

_"Good. It's empty."_ he thought, which wasn't really surprising. It was still very early morning, the sun barely coming up over the water and reflecting off the choppy surface. Matthew was expecting most of the crew to be sleeping.

Leaning against the wall for support, Matthew swiftly made his way down the hallway and to the stairs at the end. Fortunately, there was railing on the wall, and Matthew was able to half-drag, half-walk up the stairs. Once at the top, he peered out onto the deck, and seeing that it was empty, made his way to the railing that overlooked the ocean.

The view was breathtaking. The sun had barely risen over the water, almost touching the horizon. Oranges and pinks played across the sky, illuminating the sparse clouds and reflecting off of the whitecaps on the water. The breeze blew across the deck, drenching everything with the scent of salt and sky. There was no land in sight; nothing but the crashing waves and the creak of the ship could be heard, and Matthew was instantly hypnotized.

_"I never knew how beautiful the sunrise could be." _he thought. Matthew had never seen a sunrise from above the water; he had always been too scared to venture on land like Alfred. Alfred would swim to islands and make his way up the rivers to make new discoveries while Matthew dutifully waited in the shallows. He would return to Matthew with tales of slithering snakes, ferocious cats, and breathtaking waterfalls; sometimes he would bring back souvenirs, like fruit, and fasten flowers into Matthew's hair.

"Oh, Alfred," said Matthew, as he ran his fingers through his hair and over his eyes, "I want to see you."

"Well look no further Mattie because your hero is here!"

"Alfred!" Matthew yelled, partially in shock, partially from joy, _"He's okay!"_

Alfred's tail could be seen through the water as he swam next to the ship, and the sunlight glistened off his scales and wet skin. He smiled triumphantly as he easily kept up with the ship's speed.

But his smile died when he saw Matthew's legs through the railing.

"Matthew, what happened to your tail!?" Alfred gasped.

Tears immediately gathered in Matthew's eyes, "I don't know. They put this bracelet on it, and I can't get it off! I can't come home!"

Alfred's eyes darkened at this news. "Don't worry, we'll find a way."

"Alfred you need to leave!" Matthew pleaded, tears now rolling down his face, "I don't want them to catch you too."

"I'm not leaving you here, Mattie!" Alfred said back, "I'll follow as long as it takes! I'll-"

Suddenly, Alfred ducked under the water and out of sight.

"Alfred?" Matthew whispered tearfully over the railing.

"Who's Alfred?" said someone with a Spanish accent.

Matthew yelped and turned violently toward the voice, nearly losing his balance. But before he could fall, gentle hands on his shoulders steadied him.

"Ah! _Lo siento_, I didn't mean to scare you," said a pirate with green eyes, and a seemingly perpetual smile. His brown hair blew slightly in the wind that ruffled his white shirt, which was tucked into his tan trousers. His black boots were made of thick leather, which helped him grip the slippery surface of the deck and steady Matthew.

Seeing that his touch only seemed to frightened Matthew further, the crew member subtly removed his hands.

"I was worried that you would try to jump, _mi amigo_. In your current condition, that would be a very bad idea. You don't know how to swim without your tail, and it's very different for those of us with legs."

To emphasize his point, he did a little step-touch with his boots, earning a small smile from Mathew.

Encouraged, the pirate went on, "My name is Antonio, I'm the first mate for Gilbert."

At the look of confusion on Matthew's face, he decided to explain, "Gilbert is the captain, you spent the night in his quarters last night. First mate means that I'm second in command to him."

Matthew flinched at the mention of the captain, which did not go unnoticed by Antonio.

"Look," said Antonio, "Gilbert may try to intimidate people to keep them in line, but he's not a bad guy." Seeing that Matthew wasn't going to believe him however, Antonio decided to drop the subject. He didn't know what Gilbert did, but he could see that it would take Matthew a while to warm up to him; which was a pity, because it was obvious how taken the captain was with his new charge.

"Come," he said, "let me show you around the ship, you'll need to be able to find your way around."

With one last glance at the water, Matthew grabbed Antonio's outstretched hand and allowed him to lead them around the ship. Usually, Matthew was not used to contact (unless it was with his brother), but he needed Antonio's support to keep himself from falling.

While they were talking, the rest of the ship's crew had gotten started on the day's work. Dozens of pirates swarmed around deck, checking ropes, washing the deck, and talking, but a few stood out amongst the rest.

On the upper deck next to the wheel stood a slender man with shoulder-length blond hair. He wore a blue coat with tight white pants, which somehow managed to stay clean despite the disheveled looks of the other crew members. Occasionally looking up from his maps, he would eye some of the other pirates stealthily before resuming his work. This was where Antonio and Matthew headed first.

"Hey Francis!" chirped Antonio before gesturing to Matthew, "This is… uh… _lo siento mi amigo, _but I don't believe you ever told me your name."

"Matthew." Matthew replied quietly, then squeaked as Francis bowed and kissed his hand, taking it from Antonio's grasp.

"_Ohoho_, it's a pleasure _mon petite _Matthew," Francis said with twinkling blue eyes, as the wind whipped his hair around his face, "I am the _Perle_'s navigator Francis, however, you may call me _mon amour_ if you wish." As he was speaking, Francis' face leaned closer and closer toward Matthew's until they were only inches apart.

Sensing Matthew's discomfort, Antonio pulled Matthew away from Francis and said, "_Lo siento, _Francis, but we have much more of the ship to see and must go."

As they walked away Francis called out, "Feel free to stop by any time Matthew, my arms are always open for ones such as yourself!"

Continuing across the deck, Matthew yelped when a blur of brown and black swooped in front of them, moving too quickly to be distinguished. He almost lost his balance, but Antonio helped him upright before he could fall.

"What was that?" Matthew asked.

"Oh, that was just Kiku," smiled Antonio. "Hey Kiku!" he called into the air, "come down here and meet the new crew member!"

A few seconds later, a small, slender man with Asian features dropped gracefully in front of the duo, seemingly from nowhere. He glanced at Antonio and gave a small nod to Matthew before grabbing onto another rope and swinging down toward the lower deck. He jumped from rope to rope with ease, pulling himself up the net hanging from the main mast till he stood in the crow's nest.

The display of agility was astounding to Matthew, especially since he still couldn't manage to walk without the aid of Antonio. Kiku didn't even appear to be winded, and sat stoically looking off into the distance.

Antonio laughed at Matthew's look of incredulity, "Kiku is the _Perle_'s lookout. He spends most of his time up in the masts, making sure that no other ships sneak up on us."

"He is very agile, _da_?" said a deep voice that sent shivers rolling down Matthew's spine. He was afraid to turn around to see where the voice came from. The sentence was innocent enough, but the voice that said it promised madness, and scarcely hidden violent intent.

"You are Matvey, _da_? I overheard your name when you were talking to the navigator. I am called Ivan."

As he was speaking, Ivan slowly walked over until he was towering over Matthew, and talking to him directly. He wore a plain, white-cotton shirt, black trousers and very large brown-leather boots. With a child-like grin, he reached over to pat Matthew on the head.

His hand could easily crush half of Matthew's skull, and Matthew shivered at the thought.

"Ivan, would you kindly stop terrorizing the lad?" a British accent interjected.

Its source was a pirate sitting on a stack of crates, flipping through a text-book with indecipherable symbols on the front cover. He was clean-shaven, blond hair neatly trimmed, and seemed to stare at everyone with disdain over the top of his book.

Ivan skulked away as the Brit hopped off the boxes to walk over. "_Why would Gilbert agree to keep a man like Ivan on his ship_?" Matthew thought. "_He seems too unstable; I wonder why he listened to this man though."_

The man with the book crouched down to inspect Matthew's legs. "Sorry, are they giving you a bit of trouble then? I hope the bracelet isn't too tight. I tried to make the process as quick as possible to spare you any excess pain, but you passed out just before your tail began to change." The man stood and extended a hand formally. "My name is Arthur."

"_He's the one who changed my tail! He's the one that can control magic!_" Matthew thought as he flinched away from the proffered hand.

"It's okay," murmured Antonio, "he didn't want to take away your tail, but he was ordered to. Arthur isn't a bad guy; please don't hold it against him."

Slowly, Matthew grasped Arthur's still-extended hand gently. Arthur offered a nod and a brisk smile before turning and heading back to the crates to keep studying.

Matthew wasn't sure of whether or not he could trust Arthur. He had stolen his tail, but Antonio seemed confident that Matthew would not be harmed. That would have to do for now.

"Come," said Antonio as he began to lead Matthew to the lower deck, "the captain said that your job is to help Lovino. It won't require you to move around much, so you should be okay just standing on your own. And he is wonderful company!"

"What does Lovino do?" inquired Matthew.

"He is the cutest little _tomate_ in all of the seven seas! My little _Lovi_ is in charge of cooking all of the crew's food, and he's so good at it!" Antonio practically burst into song at the mention of Lovino.

"But he's not as cute as little Birdie here, is he?"

Matthew's heart nearly stopped when he heard Gilbert's voice to his right. However, he did lose his footing and fall to a heap on the deck.

"Whoops!" laughed Gilbert, "I guess you haven't gotten your sea legs yet! Don't worry, I'll help."

Gilbert leaned down and hooked his arms underneath Matthew and hoisted him, bridal-style, into the air. Matthew yelped and clutched at his shirt to keep from falling, which made Gilbert smile to have Matthew holding on to him.

As Gilbert started to walk away, Matthew shot a desperate, pleading look toward Antonio, who was only able to smile apologetically back. Matthew bit his lip and turned back around; he forced himself to breathe slowly in Gilbert's arms as they descended a staircase, and walked through a hallway to the kitchens.

_"It's okay". _Matthew told himself,_ "I'm going to be working with food. Maybe I can start sneaking some to Alfred." _

If Alfred was devoting all his energy to keeping speed with the ship, there was no way he'd be able to gather food for himself. If Matthew was correct, a boat this size would need a lot of food to feed all the crew members, and no one would notice if a little more went missing. He didn't like the idea of stealing, but when he realized that Alfred probably hadn't eaten in an entire day while chasing him, Matthew resolved to give his brother whatever food possible.

"_Come on Matthew," _he told himself, "_Now you need to be brave, like Alfred. You know there's no way he's ever going to give up, so you need to help him until you can find a way out of this situation._"

He straightened himself in Gilbert's arms and resolved to make it through this.

**Okay, so I'm kind of in love with Antonio. Sue me. (Please don't, I'm in school and nearly broke.) Also, the sunrise description was based off of a sunrise I watched off of a ship in Mexico. **

**The chapters are gonna be longer from here on out because I'm starting to get into the groove of things, and thank you all for supporting my first fic! **

**Also, I'm still open for suggestions!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on Matthew," he told himself, "Now you need to be brave, like Alfred. You know there's no way he's ever going to give up, so you need to help him until you can find a way out of this situation."

He straightened himself in Gilbert's arms and resolved to make it through this…

…just before he heard a loud, angry voice shout from the kitchen, "FIGLIO DI PUTTANA!"

* * *

The next week passed in somewhat of a blur for Matthew. He was introduced to the ship's cook, Lovino, a fiery Italian with a bad temper and extremely foul mouth. Within a few hours of meeting, Matthew had learned to use a knife, chop vegetables, boil water (which endlessly fascinated him. "I've only seen it do that around underwater volcanoes!" His outburst earned him a glare from Lovino and an order to keep working), and sweep the floors. At first, sweeping was rather hard for him, the kitchen was large and stocked with endless barrels and crates of supplies, and he hadn't quite mastered walking yet. However, surprisingly, Lovino was patient with him every time he fell and helped him back to his feet.

_"Usually, he's impatient and loud," _thought Matthew, _"but sometimes, he acts a lot like Alfred."_

It was Matthew's permanent job to help Lovino in the kitchens, and they often didn't go to bed until after the rest of the crew. It was their duty to make sure the kitchen stayed neat, so after meals they had to stay and clean up, often taking at least an hour to wash the seemingly endless dishes.

The bright side to this however, was that every night, Matthew would be able to throw leftovers over the side of the boat. Lovino rarely wasted food however, so oftentimes, Matthew would sneak in whatever extra he could find.

That was Matthew's favorite time of day. He would laugh as Alfred tore into his food with curiosity; there were so many different things they had never tried: lettuce, bread, occasionally fruit. But, Alfred's favorite by far, was a potato that had been sliced up and fried in oil. What did Lovino call them again? Oh yeah. French fries.

They ended their brief meetings with a few whispered words, usually a "Good night" and "stay safe." Matthew didn't want to risk raising their voices ever since Antonio had overheard him on his first morning.

Walking back to his cabin, Matthew would look up and stare at the sky. Rolling clouds would drift across the moon, illuminating from the inside and becoming an ethereal sea of glowing mist, promising escape if one could only dive into it and swim into the night. Stars winked like broken glass, drifting across the surface of the ocean, where the whitecaps shone brilliantly against the inky black of the water. It was so dark you couldn't tell where the sky ended and the ocean began, and you were lost in space and surrounded by stars.

All too soon, the illusion ended as he walked down the stairs and into the hallway. The captain's quarters were the largest and located at the very end of the hallway, and Matthew passed half a dozen doors on either side as he approached it. And, like clockwork, Gilbert opened the door for him every night before he could even knock.

However, Gilbert never tried to touch Matthew ever since that first night. Instead, he now tried to talk to him. It started with innocent questions as they got ready for bed, like "Are you getting along with Lovino?" and "Is the work easy enough?" and "Did you learn to cook anything new today?" But after he realized that Matthew would not give more than a one-word, polite response, the questions became more personal. "What did you do for fun in the ocean?" "How many other mermen are there?" "What was your favorite thing to eat?"

At first, Matthew was startled and deeply confused; he decided to humor his captor to avoid punishment, and answered quietly and as simply as possible with "yes's" and "no's." But after being separated from Alfred for so long, Matthew craved conversation and contact with people other than the irate Italian. So tonight, after Gilbert asked, "Do you have any family?" Matthew answered.

"Yes, I have an older brother. He's my twin, and his name is Alfred."

It took a few moments for Gilbert to get over the shock the long answer gave him (the statement wasn't particularly shocking or long, but it seemed to be after the many nights of almost-silence). Then he continued questioning.

"What does he look like? Are you identical?"

"No, Alfred's hair is shorter than mine, and a more golden blond than strawberry blond, like mine. His eyes are blue, not violet, and his tail…"

Matthew's voice hitched at the mention of his tail and he looked down at the mattress he was sitting on. Gilbert didn't fail to notice, and said softly,

"I have a brother."

"…is he on the ship?" Matthew asked hesitantly. Gilbert was shirtless, and leaning against the writing desk near the door. He was lit from behind by the lamplight which produced a warm glow across his pale skin. His eyes seemed to grow darker and more unfocused as he thought of his brother.

Gilbert sighed and said, "His name is Ludwig... He's younger than I am."

"… Did something happen to him?" Maybe the reason Gilbert acted so selfishly was because he lost his brother. If Matthew thought that he would never see Alfred again, he would probably just break down, and stop functioning. Time would just move around him until he was lost, never to be heard from again. Matthew knew thoughts like weren't healthy, but he couldn't help but think that he would just cease living if Alfred did first.

_"Wait," _thought Matthew, "_am I feeling sympathy toward him? I know he kidnapped me, but still…"_

"He's living at home with my family."

Gilbert's voice startled Matthew out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" was Matthew's intelligent response.

"Come. It's late, Birdie. We should be going to bed." Gilbert replied as he walked over to the bed and slipped under the covers. He wrapped his arms around Matthew like usual, but this time, held him a little tighter. However, Matthew was too confused by that recent revelation to notice.

_"What? If his brother is still alive, why isn't he here? Or, more importantly, why isn't Gilbert home? Shouldn't brothers always stick together? And why is Gilbert a pirate if he has a family waiting for him? This is too confusing… and too sad." _

Matthew decided that it was probably better to ignore the questions buzzing around in his head. It wasn't his business if his captor was hurting inside. If anything, it was probably his own fault!

… But Matthew didn't really believe that. Captive or not, it was in his nature to help those around him who were hurting. And from what Matthew could tell, Gilbert was hurting very, very badly.

* * *

As he began to open up more to Gilbert, life of the _SMS Perle_ became easier, and maybe even, _enjoyable. _

His legs became stronger, so he could walk around normally and take food out to the crew members, often taking part in small conversations.

Francis let him look at his numerous maps, showing him all the different oceans, seas and lakes. He taught him how to use a telescope, and a compass. On one occasion, he surprised everyone with his knowledge of underwater currents. It had been a small thing really, advising Francis to take the ship in a slightly more angled direction to compensate for the strong current, saving them almost a full day's worth a traveling time and supplies. The miscalculation on Francis' part earned him a few jibes on how Matthew was going to take his job if he wasn't careful; but Francis took it all in stride, thanking Matthew with a congratulatory kiss on the hand, which made Matthew blush and the crew laugh.

Kiku let him go up into the crow's nest, helping him grasp the ropes and climb slowly until he reached the top, but the struggle was well worth it. Everyone had a good laugh when Matthew flung out his arms and yelled, "It's like swimming in the sky!" to which Kiku silently agreed. He was secretly glad for the company, even if it took several hours to coax the frightened ex-merman back down. Antonio playfully clapped him on the back when his feet touched the deck, and laughed when Matthew whimpered, "Getting down is so much harder than climbing up."

Arthur tried to teach Matthew the symbols in his mysterious book; but when it became clear that he would not learn any undersea magic from Matthew, he settled for trying to teach him the alphabet. It wasn't that Arthur was benevolent or magnanimous, it was because he had been surrounded by brutes for so long that when he finally found someone who admired his intellect, he jumped at the chance to keep showing it. Arthur was a harsh teacher, endlessly drilling Matthew on letter sounds, pooping up seemingly out of nowhere, and demanding to know the sound a certain letter. It got to the point where Matthew was almost afraid of turning a corner to find that he had a pop quiz that he hadn't studied for. But, he was still grateful. It made his job in the kitchen with Lovino that much easier when he could read what was on the crates.

It wasn't long until he seemed like a true part of the crew, or like everyone's kid brother; except for Ivan, that was. Whenever Ivan wanted to talk to Matthew or pet his hair, Matthew suddenly heard an inaudible call from the kitchen and ran help Lovino with lunch, or dinner, or something.

But the person he probably grew closest to was surprisingly, Gilbert. Their late-night talks revealed that Gilbert was not always a pirate, but in fact, used to be quite wealthy. He wouldn't say anything more on the subject of his brother, but they got to know each other just the same. Matthew learned about the fascinating ways that humans spent their free time, like drinking (why did they do it if their heads hurt so much afterword?), pranks, and dancing. The concept of dancing fascinated and confused Matthew. He had never heard music, unless it was him or Alfred singing, and you couldn't dance with a fin.

Likewise, Gilbert learned about Matthew. He heard about and the games they played with the tropical fish, and pearl-hunting, and Matthew's favorite past-time: current-riding.

Things weren't always cheerful between them. On more than one occasion Gilbert denied Matthew's request to be released, but they had reached an agreement of sorts. While Matthew was on board, he shouldn't have to be miserable, but he also didn't have to be okay with being held captive.

It was with this mindset that the worst day of Matthew's life started.

* * *

It was on Matthew's 16th day on the _SMS Perle_ that they were running low on supplies. Gilbert decided that they were going to stop for supplies at a nearby coastal town named _Preveza_. Preveza's economy was based large off of overseas' trade and trade with nearby towns. It controlled the only dock in the region, and made a large profit on shipping supplies to inland areas.

At first, Matthew thought that Gilbert was going to trade with this town like all the others did, but as they neared Preveza's port, he began to become suspicious.

The crew became more serious and withdrawn. Arthur began to polish and distribute extra daggers, and small pouches filled with irritating powder.

Francis' eyes became tighter, and Antonio's darker and more solemn. Instead of blowing up like he usually did, Lovino drew into himself, and only glanced at Matthew when he broke a bowl.

The only person who seemed unperturbed was Ivan. Ivan bounced around deck, humming and smiling like a child, and declining the powder Arthur offered him. His eyes lit up when they landed on the small town coming up in the distance.

Just as Matthew started wondering at Ivan's sudden change of countenance, he was summoned to the captain's quarters.

* * *

Matthew arrived to find Gilbert in his full uniform. A heavy black coat with gold threading in the collar and cuffs fit over a white blouse with a ruffled collar, buttoned up to his throat. Fitted grey pants were tucked into heavy black boots with the same gold threading as the coat; they looked like they could easily crush a human skull. His black captain's hat was polished, and the bleach-white feather contrasted sharply with it. All-in-all, he appeared more like an upper-class noble than a pirate, but looked formidable nonetheless.

"Do humans usually dress up to trade for supplies? And what are you going to barter? I know that you fish when you need meat, but it seems that there isn't much here too…" Matthew trailed off when he saw the dark look Gilbert was giving him.

"No questions tonight, 'kay Birdie?" he said as he slowly approached Matthew.

"G-Gil?" Matthew stuttered as he unconsciously started backing up. "W-what's going o-on?"

Something metal glinted in Gilbert's hand, and upon closer inspection, Matthew saw that it was a pair of handcuffs.

"W-what are t-those?"

"Here," Gilbert murmured, "let me show you."

Matthew squeaked as his legs hit the bed and he fell backward. Gilbert took the opportunity to handcuff Matthew's left wrist to the bed-post.

"Gil!" Matthew yelped as he began tugging at his wrist, but Gilbert only looked on silently.

"Birdie," he said hesitantly, "I need you to stay here when we go to shore. It's too dangerous out there to risk you escaping, so I have to take some precautions to keep you safe."

All Matthew could do was look at Gilbert with wide, betrayed eyes and pull harder at his restraints.

He leaned down and gently took hold of Matthew's left arm. "Stop" he commanded softly, "you're going to hurt yourself."

He looked out the window and stood abruptly, "I need to go. I'll be back once we have the supplies…"

He opened the door and the sounds of Matthew's sobs escaped into the hallway for a brief moment before the door was shut.

Any warmth from Gilbert's eyes fled as he walked down the hallway; by the time he reached to top of the stairs to his waiting crew, he eyes were stone-cold, glittering rubies.

He removed his sword from the scabbard hanging around his waist, stood at the ready, and waited for the ship to dock.

* * *

What Gilbert failed to anticipate, however, was that when the ship docked, Matthew had a perfect view of the town through the single window of their cabin.

It was nearly dusk, and the fleeting light touched the high rooftops and blinked off the cobbled streets of _Preveza_. Women grabbed children and hustled into painted buildings while street vendors clutched their merchandise and ran. In minutes, the lively streets were deserted and men brandishing weapons ran down to the docks to meet the pirates who were now rushing up the docks.

The men of _Preveza_ wore hastily thrown-on battle gear, such as thick leather vests and boots, and polished swords which had obviously never been tainted by blood. The pirates' clothes were thread-bare, and some opted to forego shirts and shoes entirely; but the favored side was unmistakable. Whatever the pirates lacked in material, they made up for in experience. Hardened eyes picked out easy targets, and battle-strengthened arms raised weapons in sick anticipation.

Ivan was the first to reach the waiting group of men.

Grinning madly, he slashed and took down four townsmen will the sheer force of his strike. Almost single-handedly, he swung, cut, and fought his way through the first small wave of townsmen, opening up a pathway for the remaining pirates to storm the town.

Sickened, Matthew realized why the crew tolerated Ivan; he was a demon. While most of the pirates' faces were serious, his was alight with maniacal glee.

Buildings caught fire, while man after man was cut down by the pirates' advances. Windows cracked and women and children screamed as they fled.

Antonio and Francis approached a building which had not yet caught fire, and Antonio smashed through the door with a swing of his ax. Francis darted in quickly and disappeared while Antonio fended off attackers on the outside. Seconds later, Francis reappeared carrying several burlap bags, and signaled to Antonio. Antonio nodded and ran to another building, his figure melting into the smoke and debris while Francis reached into a pouch on his belt and pinched some faintly-glowing green powder. He threw it into the building and shut the door, quickly darting away in the same way as Antonio. Seconds later the building imploded violently, sucking inward in a rush of glass and fire, and then collapsing in onto itself until it was reduced to a pile of charred rubble.

Several other buildings got the same treatment as more of the town fell under the pirates' onslaught. Flames and shadows grew taller as night descended, and the screams became ever louder as more citizens fled into the night.

Pirates would dart down to the docks and throw stuffed burlap sacks, jewelry, and other loot into a growing pile before disappearing back into the fray.

Horrified and transfixed, Matthew could only watch through the small window while chained to the bed. He felt sick throughout the whole ordeal, but the most terrifying part for him happened after bloody siege was over.

The crew, battered, torn and bleeding, gathered around the substantial pile of loot at the base of the dock. It was night, and the darkness blotted out everything except the still-burning town in the background. The fires lit the backs of the crew, darkening their faces and stretching their shadows until they morphed into grotesque and unrecognizable monsters. The worst of all was the captain.

Matthew had not seen Gilbert fighting since the initial charge into the town, and this moment made his thankful he hadn't. Gilbert's uniform was torn and bloody, his skin was smeared with dirt and ashes, but his eyes still outshone the fires behind him in their ferocity. He approached the pile of treasure slowly, and gazed at it, emotionlessly calculated the value of every stolen item wrenched from the possession of the townsfolk.

And then, he smiled.

It wasn't the usual, cheery smile he would give to Matthew, and it wasn't the insane grin Ivan wore as he charged into battle. It was cold and grim and dead; and it was something Matthew never wanted to see again.

However, the rest of the crew took it as a good sign, and roared into the night. They held their weapons aloft and screamed with triumph, and elation, until their howls faded into the night, and blended into the cacophony of crackling fire, ocean waves, and distant, faint sobbing.

* * *

Later that night, Matthew sat on the bed in his and Gilbert's room, shivering in the darkness. He couldn't bring himself to try and sleep after all that he had seen, but he also had no desire to see Gilbert.

_How could he!?_ Matthew's mind screamed. They were innocent people, slaughtered for their belongings, and they didn't deserve it! It was cruel, it was despicable, it was unforgivable! How could a man live with himself knowing that all he owned once belonged to a man he had unjustly taken it from. Matthew felt horrible sleeping in his comfortably furnished room while not knowing how the objects were acquired.

He was scared, confused, betrayed, and _angry_. He had warmed up to many of the crew members, and began to trust them, only for them to turn and show him this! He just wanted to go home, to fall asleep and pretend none of this ever happened.

A few more tears escaped down his face as he tugged futilely at the handcuffs. He was about to release a choked sob when he heard the doorknob turn and realized that Gilbert had just returned. Matthew pulled his knees up and buried his face in them while his arms wrapped around his legs and were still chained to the bedpost.

And that was how Gilbert found him, curled almost into a ball and shivering in the center of the bed.

"Birdie?" He intoned softly, "I'm back. I'm sorry it took so long, but I can unchain you now…"

Gilbert took the key out of his pants' pocket and quietly removed the handcuffs from around Matthew's wrists. The metal glinted in the blue moonlight streaming from the window, and the _crack_ of the handcuffs hitting the floor echoed throughout the silent room. Gilbert walked over to pull the curtain over the window, and suppressed a small gasp when he saw the glowing remains of the decimated town.

"Oh, Birdie, I didn't mean for you to see any of that." He whispered as he walked back to the bed. Matthew hadn't moved since Gilbert walked through the door, but when Gilbert placed a hand on the shoulder of Matthew's shivering frame, he jerked back as if burned.

Startled, it only took seconds for Gilbert to recover as he stared at Matthew's unmoving form. His eyes darkened, and he whispered harshly, "You don't understand!" before turning and walking out of the room, slamming the door violently on his way out.

_I don't understand. I can't. I don't know how you can live with yourselves. _Matthew thought as he lay there. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the town burned into the back of his eyelids, and hear the screams echoing in the dark room. His eyes chased shadows around the room until the stars began to disappear in the morning light, and exhaustion dragged him down into the blessed relief of unconsciousness.

* * *

**(A/N) Sorry guys! I know it's inexcusable for me not to have updated for this long, but I just got my laptop back after almost four weeks. (My aunt had to borrow it, and didn't give it back, and everything is saved onto it. I almost had chapter 4 done before she took it.) And we've been planning for my cousin's funeral (not fun). But on the bright side, I got a job while I was M.I.A! Anyway, hope you like the new chapter, please don't hate me! :)**


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